Zell's Depression and The Remedy
by Rinoa Adele
Summary: Zell is feeling down after the SeeD field exam, and Quistis notices it, so she goies to cheer him up. No naughty bits here, folks.


****** DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters in this story, Square does. But if you'd be willing to loan Squall to me for a week... ^_^  
  
Author's Notes: Please don't flame me. I don't like fire! ^_^ - Owies!  
  
  
Zell sighed as he looked at the floor. He had just finished his SeeD field test. He knew that more than likely he had passed, but he still felt like he had failed. When he and Squall and Selphie had to fight that big... thing, he was the first to say, "Let's get out of here!" just when it fell. Then he had completely abandoned Squall when it started chasing them past the bridge.   
  
'Argh. I'm such a coward. I don't even deserve to be a Seed! I AM a Chicken-wuss!'  
  
Quistis noticed that Zell hadn't said a thing since they had docked the ship that headed back to Balamb, so she decided to say something. After all, he did look awfully depressed.  
  
"Hey Zell," Quistis piped, "are you okay? You seem kind of... distant." Zell slowly looked up from examining the fine lines of the floor. "Wha...? Me, instructor? Naw, I'm fine. Just a little tired out from the field exam, I guess." Quistis looked at him a little skeptically, but acted like she bought his act anyway. "Well, okay Zell. Maybe you should take a short nap when we get back, okay?" Zell looked at her and nodded. 'What's up with Quistis becoming so... interested all of a sudden? Ah, it's nothing. Just my imagination.'   
  
When they reached the port at Balamb, Zell felt a little better. After all, Squall had made it back all right. Well, thanks to Quistis. 'She's really brave. Maybe I should take lessons from her,' Zell thought.   
  
"Heey!! Come back here," Selphie screeched. Seifer had just skidded off in the car to go back to Garden. Squall sighed in resignation. "Might as well walk it." About 15 minutes and a few bite bugs and caterchipillars later, Squall, Selphie, and Zell were back at Garden. They talked about how glad they were that the exam was over, then departed ways. Zell walked to his dorm and flopped onto his bed. "Jesus, my legs are sore. And I smell, too. It's shower time, buddy!" Zell hopped up, grabbed his bathing supplies, and headed for the shower.  
  
Quistis arrived back at Garden just a little bit after Squall, Zell, and Selphie. She fumed, "If I ever get ahold of Seifer..." She was quite angry at him. Not only had he taken the Garden vehicle without permission, he had also not followed orders on an exam, and berated his teammates and an instructor as well. She could tell that the comments had kind of gotten to Zell. He looked really downtrodden, so to speak. "I think I should go talk to him." With that, Quistis headed to the dorms.  
  
Zell emerged from the shower, feeling majorly refreshed. "Hyne, that's better. All that grat blood on me didn't smell like peaches on a summer's day." He walked back to his dorm (because of the public showers and all) and went to his bed, still clad in his towel. "So tired..." he closed his eyes and thought about the day. 'I'm such a failure. The only person who seemed to notice how down I was is Quistis. She's so nice. And brave. And beautiful-' "Whoa there, Zell!", he said. "Can't be gettin' hot for teacher like that!" Then, Zell heard a meek knock on the door. He thought to himself, 'I wonder who that is.' he got up from his bed and opened the door.  
  
"Quistis! What're you doing here!? Come on in." Quistis' jaw almost hit the floor. 'Wow. He really does train hard.' There Zell was standing in front of her... in a towel. He was extremely fit, but it was all in a nice, compact package. "Nice towel, Zell," she commented with a slight smirk. Zell looked down and noticed his choice of clothing, or lack of, should we say. He blushed, a light trail of red coming across the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, Quisty. Can you excuse me for a moment?" With that, he abruptly shut the door, with Quistis giggling on the other side. 'Quisty, huh? I like the pet name.'   
  
When he opened the door, he had on his shorts and a white t-shirt. "Okay, now you can come in." Quistis walked into his dorm and sat down on his bed. "So Quistis, what brings you here," said Zell, a little confusion in his voice. 'Why would Instructor Trepe want to come and see a loser like me,' he wondered. "Actually Zell, I wanted to talk to you about something," she said. "You looked really depressed today on the ship going back to Balamb. I wanted to know. Are you okay? Is there anything bothering you at all?"   
  
Zell looked at her and felt ashamed. 'I'm a loser and a chicken-wuss, that's what. I can't even help my friends.' Quistis looked at him and saw that he had the same look on his face as he did on the ship. "Zell, are you okay?" Zell looked at her and said, "No. I'm not okay. I'm just some loser who can't even help his friends. I ran away from that thing in Dollet and left Squall to be killed. If it wasn't for you, then Squall might be hurt or dead now. I probably won't even be a SeeD." Zell was almost on the verge of tears, now. He wasn't normally one for waterworks, but he felt extremely useless at that point.   
  
Quistis stood up, walked up to Zell and put her arms around him. "You're not useless, Zell. In fact, I admire you a lot. You're strong, and certainly not a loser or a chicken-wuss. And you know what? I know that you're going to be a Seed. I can feel it." Zell looed down at her and said, "Thanks, Quisty," and then bent his head down and kissed her lightly on the lips. When he parted from her, Quistis looked at him slightly shocked and said, "But why, Zell?" Zell looked at her and said, "Because you make me happy, Quistis. And I think that I'm falling for you." And with that, he gave her another smouldering kiss. When they broke apart this time, Quistis said, "That's good, 'cause I think that I've already fallen for you. She then put her arms around Zell's neck and gave him a kiss on the lips.   
  
They were about to continue their little make-out session, but they were interrupted by the intercom. It boomed out the words, "Would all participants in today's field exam please report to the 2F hallway." Quistis looked to Zell and said, "I guess we'll have to continue this someother time." Zell sighed and reluctantly said, "I guess so." With that, he grabbed her forcefully and gave her a deep kiss on her lips that left her breathless. "Well Quisty... I guess I'll see you later." Quistis snapped out of her reverie and mumbled, "Yeah, later."   
  
With that, Zell leaves and goes on to become a SeeD and face his destiny along with the others.  
  
  
  
  
  
~owari.  
  
  
****** Author's Notes: Okay! I know the ending sucked, but it's all I could think of!! _ 


End file.
